Jack
by E. Linnet
Summary: Because he's finally back, and she still hasn't said his name. Oneshot, Sparrabeth.


Swann's Note: The plot bunny was scampering around quite annoyingly in my head for a week. I was simultaneously listening to The Other Side Of The World and Silent Sea by KT Tunstall. The result? You guessed it. Another oneshot! Yes, I swear that I'll update 101 Ways To Go Insane really soon. But, until that time…have fun with this :P

Can be considered a companion piece to A Promise and One Look, but you don't have to read that to get this. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Never have, never will. Hmph.

_Jack_

It was Captain Sparrow when he returned. But not in the same tone as she said it before-now it was cold, empty….lifeless.

When she first saw him, she resisted the urge she had to pitch herself into his arms and tell him that she was sorry, so, so sorry for what she had done. For what he had done. For what had happened. All that had really happened, though, was a brief look of slight understanding between the two, a silent agreement to leave what had happened in the past.

Both had changed from the experience, of course. No one could stay the same after such an encounter. She was oddly hollow around him, and he was constantly formal, gone was the small sparkle of amusement or pride (she could never really tell which) in his eyes when she shouted out orders to his crew.

_Pirate._

Elizabeth rolled the word around in her head as she leaned against mast, late at night, half-asleep, looking at the stars.

"Miss Swann," A curt voice cut her small musings short. A curt voice that belonged to a man who no longer allowed any one else to guide his beloved ship through the sea, who had died and lived to tell the tale.

She didn't turn, but focused her gaze on the ocean. "Captain Sparrow."

He moved behind her, and yet didn't speak for a moment. Elizabeth broke the strangely comfortable silence.

"It must be so easy to be the sea," she muttered, her hand trailing over the spot where manacles, untouched, rested on the mast.

"Yes," He said, also talking strangely quiet, "So easy. So . . ."

". . . free," Elizabeth finished. This was the longest conversation they had held since he returned. The longest conversation that had lost some of the hollowness it held before.

Another moment of long silence.

"Captain Sparrow," Elizabeth said still keeping her tone low, still rather hollow, "I don't know what I would have done if you didn't return."

"I don't know either, Miss Swann," A bit of the old Jack showed through, a tinge of amusement in his voice.

Elizabeth suddenly scoffed, feeling her throat begin to close at the name Jack was using with her, "Miss Swann. Since when was it Miss Swann?"

Jack finally turned his eyes away from the ocean, and looked at her, "Since when was it Captain Sparrow?"

Elizabeth nodded her head in bitter understanding, biting her lip as she felt tears sting her eyes, "I am sorry, you know." She said softly, still looking resolutely forward.

Jack nodded, looking at her more closely. "You shouldn't be, you know."

Elizabeth, still looking at the calm, nearly silent midnight sea, muttered, "Why not?"

Jack half-smiled, or half-smirked, Elizabeth couldn't really tell, and said, "I admire a woman who's willing to do whatever is necessary."

She sniffed back her tears, and flicked her eyes to him. "I don't care. I'm sorry."

Jack's smile grew wider, and he looked down at the manacles that Elizabeth had been holding minutes before, "I also admire a woman who is as completely stubborn as you."

The grin was gone, though, as he sighed rather tiredly, and seeing him doing something so utterly human made the tears that she had been trying so desperately to push down spill out. She turned and looked at him, still not having the courage to meet his eyes.

He looked at her, the most caring she'd ever seen him, and the first time he'd ever seen her show weakness.

"Look at me, Lizzie," Jack said gently. Elizabeth tore her eyes from the limply hanging manacles to his eyes, "Call me by my name."

Elizabeth stared at him for a moment, then said quietly, "Captain Sparrow."

He looked at her, as if really seeing her for the first time, "My real name."

She looked at him fully for a minute, remembering the feeling of looking into his eyes for the first time, remembering the feeling of spinning around a huge bonfire on a tiny beach with him, remembering the sparrow she saw the dawn of her wedding, flying to the horizon, remembering the happiness when she found him on the docks of Tortuga, remembering the click of the manacles and the regret that followed, remembering the feeling of finding him alive, remembering . . .

Finally, she said the word that they had both been wanting to hear so long.

"Jack."

Swann's Note: WOW. That's like…the longest oneshot that I've EVER written. Three pages. /Is shocked/

Anyways, I shall update 101 Ways ASAP, no worries xD Hope that you enjoyed that, and, please drop a review!(Because _you _want you to review.)

PS: You guys probably all know this, but…SPARRABETH WON SOMETHING AT THE PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS! OH YEAH!!!

Yes. Review?


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